Unthinkable
by LetItRain21
Summary: When the 150th Hunger Games present themselves, what kind of twist will the Quarter Quell present? And more improtantly, how will Alyse Linxwood deal with it? Review with a tribute and I'll make 'em part of the story! :
1. Chapter 1

A/N: So here's one of those stories I promised to get upoaded(: It took me a while because I finally got my laptop to work after it crashed, but I didn't have Microsoft Word installed. I still don't, but I figured out how to use WordPad, so it's all good!

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I stretched out my arms leisurely, taking in the first rays of sunlight. Despite the fact that I could sleep in today due to the Reaping, I still got up at the crack of dawn. My undershirt, slightly yellowed from years of wear, was the only clean thing I had to clothe myself, though it seemed incongruous to be wearing on Reaping Day. I direly wished that my mother would have a dress for me to borrow for the occasion. Until then, I wormed into a button-up shirt that used to belong to my brother. It was a few sizes too big, yes, but it didn't attract attention and was comfortable enough to allow me to go about my day. Slipping on a pair of worn leather shoes that also used to belong to my brother, I headed for the door. Not before planting a light kiss on my baby sister's forehead. At nine years old, she was very bright and was the only person in our family that it seems hasn't gone crazy yet. Our mother and father, while loving and caring, were old and hadn't had their heads screwed on quite right. My father had a mental disorder, making it hard for us to communicate with him. Our mother had to take care of him, and before long she went mad. But not before having Edeline, my little sister.

Yes, in our household it was my mother, my father, Edeline, and our grandmother, who was hopelessly confused. My mother used to tell me that it was due to old age. I believe differently.

I think she saw more in the rebellion than she's telling us. Not that I want to know anything about it if she does. I've heard stories of things, terrible things, that the Capitol did to those who rebelled against them. I can't say I blame my grandmother for detaching from reality.

But this was our family. Three adults, none of which fit to take care of themselves, let alone children, and two children, both of whom were very self-sufficient. It wasn't a very functional family, but we were a family none the less.

I walked outside, and flinched, the smell of burning coal imminent immediatley. I sighed, being used to the smell, and continued walking. I hadn't an idea where I was going, but I knew that I couldn't stay home. The Reaping was the only thing that consumed my thoughts. At seventeen, I already had my name entered twenty times. Fifteen for the required entries, and five to receive tessarae each year. I was glad that Edeline wasn't old enough to enter. One less person to worry about. I hadn't many friends anyway, so the only person I was really worried for was me.

I knew I needed to get home in time for the Reaping, but I couldn't will myself to turn around. Finally, my legs gave in to my demands and I started walking back home. It had been around an hour and a half that I had been walking, so I would need to start preparing for the day.

When I finally got back to my house, my mother was already up and feeding my dad his breakfast. Edeline was still half-asleep, laying in that old leather chair that had been sitting in our living room since I was three years old.

I watched Edeline drift in and out of sleep, smiling to myself. She looked nothing like me. I took after our father, with my dark-brown hair and sapphire like eyes, whereas she took after are mother, with perfect auburn curls and hazel eyes.

I walked over to her, kneeling in front of the chair. Her eyes fluttered open and she grinned, giving me a hug.

"Morning Alyse." She said groggily.

"Morning Edeline." I responded, not letting go of her just yet. She knew about the Reaping, what it was and how many times I was entered. She's watched the Games with us before, and they scared her to death. She must have realized this the same time I did, because her face suddenly grew solemn.

"Alyse, please just..." She started, though she was choking back her sobs already and didn't finish her statement. It's been like this ever since she learned about the Hunger Games. Every year during the Reaping, she'd sob for days preceding the event, desperatley hoping my name wouldn't be called. And it never was.

I hoped that wouldn't change.

I hugged her tighter. "Don't worry sweetie, it'll be fine." I reassured her, patting her back. "Now, why don't you go upstairs and get ready to go." She looked up from my shoulder, which she had buried her face in. She nodded, though she didn't seem to thrilled about the idea.

Edeline slowly walked up the stairs, her shoulders hunched and shaking from crying. I realezed this year was the Quarter Quell, being the one-hundred and fiftieth Hunger Games. But after the uprising after the seventy-fifth Hunger Games, the Capitol had changed the rules slightly.

First of all, the Quarter Quell, which just adds a surprising and usually disturbing twist to the games, was now announced by the President on live television right before the Reaping, instead of days or months before. I wasn't alive for the last Quarter Quell, but my mother told me that they changed the age limits so that all people from ages seven to twenty-one. It's ridiculous, in my opinion, to have these games in the first place, but to throw a seven year old in there? The youngest competitor that year was ten, which really wasn't any better. She was slaughtered the first day. I guess her mother went insane and killed herself. These games bring out the worst in people. Just... I couldn't imagine it, killing a ten year old. I couldn't imagine killing anyone, to be honest, but someone so young, I just...

I shook the thoughts from my head, hoping that this Quarter Quell wouldn't be as bad. I knew it was a faint hope, but it was a hope none the less. I sighed and trudged up the stairs, heading to the room that my parents and grandma shared. I went into the closet and pulled out one of the few dresses my mother had shoved in the back. It was ivory and strapless, loosely flowing to my knees. I paired it with some nude pumps and a brassy gold headband. I layed the outift out on my bed, and went to take a bath.

Luckily for me, there was still water in the tub from when my mother had taken her bath. I scrubbed clean and shampooed my hair, which was horribly tangled. I brushed it out the best I could with my fingers, giving up halfway through and opting for a brush. The tangled mess off dark brown hair was now smoothed out, and I formed it into an elegant bun, wavy tendrils framing my pale face.

I walked back to my room and changed into the dress, and wiggled into the pumps, which were a size too small since I'd bought them three years before. Lastly, I placed the headband about two inches back from my hairline. I looked in the mirror and gave myself an approving nod, heading downstairs to watch the president announce the Quarter Quell challenge.

Not too much long after I made it downstairs, Edeline made her way downstairs, looking absolutley adorable in a knee-length pink dress with cap-sleeves. Her auburn curls were now hidden in a long braid cascading down her back. On her feet she donned simple white flats with little bows on them.

I smiled and opened my arms out to her. She obliged gladly and ran to hug me. I looked down into her hazel eyes and saw that tears were starting to spill over her cheeks. I brushed a loose wisp of hair off of her forehead and tucked it behind her ear.

"Don't worry sweetie. I'll be fine." I wasn't very sure of this myself, but I had to be strong for Edeline. She looked at me once more and pulled away, nodding and trying to be strong. We both sat down on the couch, Edeline in my lap. Just then the television began to come alive with color, and we saw President Rendrag at his desk, with a small box filled with cards of different 'twists' to put on the games.

Rendrag started to drone on about our country's history, how the rebels failed again and again in trying to overthrow the government. I'd heard this all before, so I just tuned it out. I paid attention to the president. He was a tall, chubby man, with hair that was graying in some areas and balding in others. He wore a ridiculous tie with a pattern so unrecognizably silly that it was all I could do not to laugh while looking at it.

After finishing his monotonous speech about Panem, he opened the box and pulled out the card for the sixth Quarter Quell and cleared his throat.

"Ladies and gentleman, this year, on the one-hundred and twenty-fifth Hunger Games, to remind the rebels that the government is the strongest, mightiest power there ever was and ever will be, and that we cannot be overthrown, each tribute who has any siblings must also take them along into the arena as well."

My breath caught in my throat, and I began choking on air.

It wasn't only me I had to worry about now.

Because if I went, Edeline went with me.

Edeline started to sob again, and I pet her head in a failed attempt at comfort. My mother's face was expressionless, my dad didn't fully understand what was going on, and my grandma's expression was panic-stricken.

As we all marched out the door in a line, like ants, I thought about my name in there. Twenty times. If I had ever even considered this possibility, that Edeline would have to go into the games with me, I never would have gotten the tessarae. I would've found another way to feed us. Hunted illegally, if that was what it came to. _Twenty times_, I kept repeating to myself. There were people with their names in there twice as many times as that, but it didn't lessen the amount of times my name was on one of those pieces of paper.

When I stood in the section of the square for seventeen year olds, Edeline came with me. She was squeezing my hand so tight, that I swear it would fall off. I didn't mind though, because I could hardly feel it anyway. My entire body was numb. _Twenty times. Twenty times. Twenty times. Twenty times._

The mayor, a short slender man who seemed nervous to be on stage reread the history of Panem, then introduced the Capitol representative, who's name I didn't pay attention to. In the backround was a man who couldn't be older than twenty-five. Yes, I recognized him. He won the one-hundred and forty-second Hunger Games at the age of fourteen, making him one of the youngest victors in history. His name... Was... I failed to remember his name until the Capitol representative introduced him as Lindell Austers. He gave a slight nod, then went back to an expression that read 'I do not want to be here.' The Capitol representative didn't seem all that excited as she announced the tributes.

"And the female District 12 tribute is...." She pulled out a slip of paper and read the name with a forced smile. "Alyse Linxwood." I stood, frozen by fear and the sobs that were racking from my sister's body. I slowly forced my legs to make my way up to the stage. The Capitol representative kept her fake smile on as she asked for volunteers. When none presented themselves, she looked to the other side of her, purposely avoiding Edeline. She called up the male tribute as well, who walked up alone. I didn't catch his name, barely even registered what he looked like when it hit me.

I was going to die. And if I didn't then my sister would.

That's when everything went black.

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Okay, writing the end was not fun. In fact, I sorta felt like crying. But, write a review anyway(: Should I continue?

Constructive criticism welcome, flames are not.


	2. Chapter 2

Okay, this is not technically an update(: Sorry... I just forgot to put this in the last chapter. Please leave a review with a tribute for me to use in the story. Here's the format:

Name:

Age:

Gender:

District (Top three choices):

Appearance:

Skills:

Weapons:

Strategy for the Games:

Please keep in mind that some characters I use will have to die in the blood bath. Sorry, but it's gotta be done(:

And for psyching you out, here's a preview to the next chapter.

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_"You know this is wrong. You have the oppurtunity to change this." He said sternly, looking straight into her eyes, the way he had done when he was trying to persuade me to do something when we were young._

_"Wha- What are you talking about?" I asked lamely._

_"Seventy-five years ago, there was a rebellion. Seventy-five years before that, there was a rebellion. It's time, Alyse. Time to take a stand. It's time for another rebellion. But this time, it can't fail." He said this in such a harsh tone that it almost scared me. But I knew he was right. I knew it was time for a change_.

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Oooh(: Sound good? Leave a review and tell me!


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